Carrying a weight on a tightrope

Illustration: Thinkstock

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Stress is ubiquitous. Every hour of the most ordinary day fairly bursts with tasks and pressures. But then there are occasions that broaden the very definition of stress. Like when you work so late you barely have time to get to your neighbor's baby shower, provided your GPS works, which it doesn't, because it wants to upgrade its whatchamacallit, and it's asking for a password you haven't used since the Clinton administration, so you just rush around randomly, on hold with tech support, wanting to rip off your own arms and beat someone with them, even though you couldn't beat anyone with anything if your arms were ripped off.

Like that.

Well, the next time hyperstress hits, do not harm life or property. Instead, calm yourself by asking the following questions...